News is a medium of communication which informs people about current events, happenings and developments locally, nationally and internationally. News also helps in educating the public and is helpful in explaining complex topics to people so that they can understand them better.
News has utilitarian value and provides useful information to the public such as weather forecasts, train timings, etc. Likewise, it has educational values such as providing information about different job opportunities and educational courses available. News is of particular interest to people who are concerned about the environment, social issues and their own health and wellbeing.
To be newsworthy an event or happening must be unusual, significant, unexpected and/or relevant to the general public. However, the definition of what is newsworthy can be a matter of personal taste and opinion. For example, some people are not interested in reading about bugs, but others consider it newsworthy if the bug is damaging their crops. Similarly, while most people do not care about the sexual exploits of celebrities, these stories are often newsworthy when they involve behaviour that is outside generally accepted social norms.
To write an effective news article, the writer must research their topic thoroughly. They must then decide what is most important to include in the article and if they need to add any further information, such as background, quotes from interviews, or further facts about the topic. It is also important to check all the facts carefully, as a mistake in any of the information provided could discredit the whole article.